Public Schools and the NEA Implicated in Children's Medical Scandal, as Revealed by Erika Sanzi
In the realm of education, a contentious issue has arisen concerning the endorsement and promotion of medical gender transition for minors without parental consent. This debate revolves around the delicate balance between parental rights, children's well-being, and federal and state policies.
Erika Sanzi, Director of Outreach at Defending Education, an organisation dedicated to restoring K-12 education and promoting a non-political education for children, is one of the critics voicing concerns. The National Education Association (NEA) has found itself at the centre of this controversy, with allegations that its policies may potentially harm children by putting them on a path to irreversible changes to their bodies without parental knowledge or consent.
The NEA's 2025 handbook, which has since been removed from its website, advocated for students to socially transition at school without parental knowledge. Resolution C-12 in the same handbook further stated that educators must respect a student's decision to keep their gender identity confidential from anyone, including their own parents.
The NEA's stance on student privacy could potentially lead to school officials being held accountable for deceiving parents about their children's gender transitions. Furthermore, the NEA's policies, as well as those in over 20,000 schools, reveal a misunderstanding of federal law regarding student privacy (FERPA).
Six school districts in Wisconsin list the Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Health (PATH) clinic at UW Health as a student resource on their websites. The promotion of these clinics by school districts is seen as an endorsement of the medicalization of minors under the sanitized banner of "gender-affirming care." The PATH clinic provides puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors in Wisconsin. Similarly, in Farmington, Minnesota, the public school district promotes the Hennepin Healthcare Gender and Sexual Health Clinic under the category "Substance Use Prevention & Intervention."
These school districts do not provide disclaimers, warnings, or acknowledgments of the lifelong impacts, risks, or complications associated with the medical interventions. The practice of promoting gender clinics offering medical interventions is not unique to Wisconsin and Farmington, Minnesota. Grant Community High School District 124 in Illinois openly promotes the Open Door Health Center of Illinois, a clinic that provides hormone therapy to minors.
The NEA has aligned itself with activist groups pushing for minors to access medical interventions and champions "gender-affirming care." However, critics argue that schools should not facilitate or promote gender transition treatments or affirm transgender identities without parental consent, citing concerns about children's welfare, constitutional parental rights, and misuse of public funds.
This issue is caught in the polarization around transgender rights. Supporters argue that affirming transgender students, including through access to gender-affirming medical care and use of chosen names/pronouns, is crucial for mental health and safety. Opponents see these policies as ideological impositions, infringing on parental authority, and raising ethical and biological concerns about irreversible treatments for minors.
The current controversy involves federal and state government conflicts over education policies on transgender issues, lawsuits claiming violations of girls’ sports protections, increased federal scrutiny of gender-affirming medical care for minors, and legal battles over parental rights in school curricula and health decisions. Schools navigating these issues must balance inclusion, legal mandates, and parental concerns within an escalating politically charged environment.
[1] ABC News. (2021, March 10). Transgender athletes sue Connecticut high school over state policy. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/US/transgender-athletes-sue-connecticut-high-school-over-state/story?id=76419977
[2] The Washington Post. (2020, October 21). Trump administration to halt funding for schools that support transgender students. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/10/21/trump-administration-halt-funding-schools-that-support-transgender-students/
[3] The New York Times. (2021, January 26). Transgender athletes sue California over eligibility rules. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/sports/transgender-athletes-california-lawsuit.html
[4] The Washington Post. (2020, February 13). Supreme Court rules parents can opt out of LGBTQ lessons in schools. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/02/13/supreme-court-rules-parents-can-opt-out-lgbtq-lessons-schools/
- In the realm of education and self-development, the debate surrounding medical gender transition for minors without parental consent has led to criticisms from organizations such as Erika Sanzi's Defending Education, which contends that the National Education Association's policies could potentially harm children by potentially violating federal law regarding student privacy (FERPA) and parental rights.
- The issue of transgender rights in education and policy-and-legislation has resulted in controversy, including legal battles over parental rights in school curricula and health decisions, increased federal scrutiny of gender-affirming medical care for minors, and federal government conflicts with school districts over endorsements of medical transition treatments. This controversy has also been reported in general news sources such as ABC News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and others.
